Last season, the Baltimore Ravens showcased one of the NFL's most formidable offenses, and the numbers completely back it up. The team ranked sixth in total yards and fourth in points scored across the league, a testament to their offensive prowess. Their efficiency was further highlighted by a fourth-place finish in FTN's DVOA and an eighth-place tie in Tru Media's version of EPA per play.
Lamar Jackson's Standout Season
A significant factor in the Ravens' success was the exceptional performance of quarterback Lamar Jackson. Jackson earned the second MVP award of his career, a feat that underscores his incredible talent and impact on the field. In his 16 starts, he led the Ravens to an impressive 13-3 record, completing 67.2% of his passes and averaging 8.0 yards per attempt. He threw for 24 touchdowns against just 7 interceptions and also made significant contributions on the ground, rushing 148 times for 821 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Expanding Jackson's Role
As the Ravens prepare for the upcoming season, they are poised to place even more responsibility on Jackson's shoulders. Jackson himself has expressed a desire to take on more duties, particularly in audibling at the line of scrimmage. This shift is seen as a natural progression by quarterbacks coach Tee Martin, who believes that giving Jackson more autonomy will enhance the Ravens' offensive dynamism.
"From us watching film and getting into games, teams changing things up on us, we just want to add extra layers to all of our calls," Jackson said, via ESPN. Martin echoed this sentiment, drawing a parallel to keeping a smart kid engaged in a classroom. "It's like that smart kid in the classroom, you can't allow them to get bored, right? You have to constantly add things, tweaks and things of that nature and responsibilities," Martin said.
Strategic Tweaks for Offensive Improvement
The Ravens see ample room for improvement in drawing offsides penalties from opponents. Last season, the offense induced an opponent offsides only once, a statistic they aim to change this year. Martin plans to achieve this by having Jackson vary his cadence more often, a tactic expected to keep defenses on their toes and potentially draw more offsides penalties. "It has been a tool in the past, and we're just going to continue to take it to the next level," Martin said. "Lamar is outstanding at it, whether we're going non-verbal on the road or whether we're going verbal at home."
With these adjustments, the Ravens hope to slow down opposing defenses by making it difficult for them to anticipate the snap count. "We have a lot of different ones that give us an advantage so that people don't know when we're snapping the ball and slowing them down a little bit," Martin explained.
AFC Contenders with Super Bowl Aspirations
The Ravens' aspirations are clear—they hope to make the leap to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Their success this season will hinge on Lamar Jackson’s ability to adapt and thrive with his expanded role. The combination of Jackson's individual talent and increased responsibility could make the Ravens a formidable force in the coming seasons.
By tweaking their approach and giving Jackson more control, the Ravens position themselves as strong AFC contenders, aiming to finally break through to the Super Bowl.